Zhang Aokai

Zhang Aokai (Chinese: 张奥凯; pinyin: Zhāng Àokǎi; Mandarin pronunciation: [ʈʂáŋ âʊ kʰàɪ]; born 18 February 2000), original name Zhang OK (Chinese: 张OK),[1] is a Chinese footballer who plays as a left winger for Shanghai Jiading Huilong.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.
Zhang Aokai
张奥凯
Personal information
Full name Zhang Aokai
Date of birth (2000-02-18) 18 February 2000
Place of birth Xianyang, Shaanxi, China
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Left winger
Team information
Current team
 Shanghai Jiading Huilong
Youth career
2010–2012 Shaanxi Daqin
2012–2017 Guangzhou Evergrande
2017–2019 Espanyol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Guangzhou Evergrande 1 (0)
2019–2020 Espanyol B 0 (0)
2019–2020 → Horta (loan) 2 (0)
2020 → Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (loan) 0 (0)
2021–2023 Cangzhou Mighty Lions 0 (0)
2022 → Jiangxi Dark Horse Junior (loan) 14 (4)
2023– Shanghai Jiading Huilong 0 (0)
International career
2015 China U17 7 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:00, 31 December 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Zhang Aokai joined Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande's youth academy from China League Two club Shaanxi Daqin in 2012.[2] He was promoted to Guangzhou's first team squad by manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in July 2016.[3] Zhang made his senior debut on 30 October 2016 in a 4–0 home win against Shandong Luneng, coming on for Zheng Zhi in the 85th minute and taking over the captaincy for the rest of the match,[4] making him the first player born in the new millennium to make an appearance in any of the Chinese professional leagues.[5]

Zhang was excluded from Guangzhou's first team squad for the 2017 season. He left the club and underwent a trial with La Liga side Espanyol in the summer of 2017.[6] He signed a professional contract with Espanyol and joined Juvenil A team on 19 July 2018.[7] On 26 September 2019 Espanyol confirmed, that Aokai had joined UA Horta on loan for the rest of the season.[8] On 29 July 2020 he returned to China with Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (now known as Cangzhou Mighty Lions) initially on loan before making the move permanent.[9]

Personal life

Zhang Aokai's original name was Zhang OK; however, his given name violated the Name Registration Ordinance of the People's Republic of China; and thus, he could not apply for an identification card. Zhang's father changed his given name to Aokai, which shares a similar pronunciation with OK.[1]

Career statistics
As of 31 December 2022.[10]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Guangzhou Evergrande2016Chinese Super League1000000[lower-alpha 1]010
Espanyol B2019–20Segunda División B00---00
Horta (loan)2019–20Tercera División2000--20
Shijiazhuang Ever Bright (loan)2020Chinese Super League0000--00
Cangzhou Mighty Lions2021Chinese Super League0000--00
Jiangxi Dark Horse Junior (loan)2022China League Two144---144
Career total 174000000174
  1. Appearance(s) in Chinese FA Super Cup

Honours

Club

Guangzhou Evergrande

References
  1. "恒大足校：张OK其实叫张奥凯 李开朗琪罗退学". Tencent (in Chinese). 2014-09-20. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  2. "恒大足校16岁小将进一队体验 他的名字叫"张OK"". Netease (in Chinese). 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  3. "16岁小将张奥凯进恒大一队 黄博文叔叔亲当陪练". Sohu (in Chinese). 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  4. "斯帅:张奥凯担中国足球责任 明年年轻人机会更多". Sina (in Chinese). 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  5. "恒大00后小将登场创三项纪录 接过郑智队长袖标". Sohu (in Chinese). 2016-10-30. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
  6. "张奥凯已抵达西班牙人俱乐部 能否加盟仍未定". Sina (in Chinese). 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-09-27.
  7. "Aokai Zhang, nuevo jugador del Juvenil A". RCD Espanyol (in Spanish). 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
  8. Aokai, cedido a la UAT Horta, rcdespanyol.com, 26 September 2019
  9. "国足00后小将张奥凯，16岁就登陆中超，交往外国女友后逐渐平庸". sohu.com. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  10. "张奥凯". sodasoccer.com. Retrieved 2016-10-30. Archived 2016-10-31 at the Wayback Machine


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